Town Survey Report Education
Transcript of Town Survey Report Education
University of Mississippi University of Mississippi
eGrove eGrove
Mississippi Education Collection General Special Collections
1963
Town Survey Report Education Town Survey Report Education
Author Unknown
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Unknown, Author, "Town Survey Report Education" (1963). Mississippi Education Collection. 12. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/ms_educ/12
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Lafa.yette COU.I1.t.y is div10 .... ~d in'Go l~:fC 8c11001 dist,"!'icts, the Oxford ··urd.cipaJ.. Sap-
ar die School Dist·rict and tha Lafayette (Jouuty' School D:.i)3tri<.:to The Oxfoo'd Municipal
Sepl?.rate School Dlstrict embodies tl-e City OJ" Q;ci'OJ-:-d plus appro;d.mat.el;y- 9~ cont·;'guous
sections of. land outside the co!'pcZ'~;t.e liIllit>iI~ The x~malildar of the eounty lies in
'~he r ... '\!ayett-e Coun'!;y School DJ.otrlct.. Th'3xe ;ru-,) will be eoncer.u.ed with t.he Oxford Muni-
cipal Separate School Distx'1.ct"
The unit of local goverrmEnt, that c.oJTlin .. i.ntsl's too po.bUe school sys·loem. is the
Board of Education (also called the :-'chool BO'J.:.~d alia the Board of Trustees).. This is
a fi ve-'~l11h)r boaroo Three Euard. l':f;rrib:n'S are f!'om vr:i.thin the City;; they are !EE.C?ir~~
by ·t.he Mayor and the Board Clf Aldo'cmen.. (Curx(lJD:tly ss:,:'ving are Dl'. C"M. .. MU1'ry, ap-
pointed Jan!,,!, 195h, Ch~ .. rm.an since Aug" .. 1955; Jmms H".rlif:1.eld" Secrataryl' a. mmber
since 1949; and W" fL ltO\relt:dy.5 appo~!..l1t,ed "! n 19630) Th9 ·term of office is 1'1 w ye G.l"S"
The ot,rer trm msmh ro of the! Board are .~~c~.,Gd. from OI.ltside t.he city li.mit5 by popular
VtYW at a pubUc Ji1eeting of ·those l."'3·sidants of: th~ (J.rl'o~"'d M-..micipal SP.paX"ate School
Dist,rict ).t.v:i.ng ol1ts:l.c1A the city JjJ.:'ttts~ (fhis ::n:19~. -tt3 commonly ca.llli:ld ·the Progress .
L.;,...:,rlct~) Cur::'ently servt:i.g are I. ~'J .. I.egger'~t (who filled out an unexpired term ;mj
the nay t.he Board is cOI.stituteds- if 1;5% to 29% of the students l'eside outside 'cre city
be elected,.
Board members must be bonafide ros:i.cren-ts of t.lwir appo:i.ntad or elected a.rea and
they must be qual.i£,ied elect.or'so If they mov--c out of t.he1.r ['~;'Oiptf3d nr elect.ed dis-
trtcts, t ... hey rm.1st :t"'Cs~.gno
•
each month" ' T}-~ post.lng pl'ocedu 'e ls, ,fol;.!;';'lcd ,to save rrc~~ey"
ll'.d..l)ist.Ta,tlv~ p,C1t'i?rS; it approves all br~dget,ary and disi")tlr5ell'~nt pt\)cedu:res" It a~
proves teach~l' :reeoLm~ndatio1'l8 but ca. .. w,ot suggest tl3.rr.oSo 'l*he Board m\;cts . gularl\Y~
once a mOD:c,h and TolOre oft9n as necessar:r.~ fill BOf.l.rd rreetil1gs are open to the public»
a..t~h()ugh exec:utiV'8 sessions may be held" Al,l mi.nut-es, including tho.."Je of the execu",:
tive session»> are open to the public aJ.thQugh not gena:..'al1y published 0, : Reporting to
the p1,lblic is 0-1' mans of p3l'sonal conta.ct, oeca.s:torwJ. reports to PSo,A", and rows re-
leases~ , ,
Because of t,}1{l compleXity- of laws l"egulat.1ng schools th9 city :,1:ttorncy handles
all qu.estion of legal matters prliaining to school legislationo
:years~ (D;.· .. L .. C .. WilsOl'1e currently sm.' 'ing; has been SU~l'intendent siI1..ce 1952~ He
prefers to YlOl'k on a ene yea.? cont,!"ect,,) There is no tenure" Qualifications arc set
by the St2.te.~. He !f:1l.st hF.ve l' .• n All. e:ertif1.c:lta (at. least a Mas'(jf.n~8s Deg~ and Admin
j,st.ra;r.i\'e r..icense)o His 8a,lD.l',Yr 5.s $8,.800 for t'\"felve months" Of£:i.eially he is the
administ;rat,i ve officerai' the Boardo
'I'he State Board of Educati on 1s cO~p'ooed of the St,ate Superintendent of Educa-
tum (2.11 elected offic:Ll) 'c,l:e SecretSl.lj" of S;;'a.te g and too State .Att.o:i':'neY'-C~ner.a.l"
'I'he lueal 13ys'tem does nO'G ha~ much contact. '.i:l:tJh the State Boe,rd of Educat.i.ono HOS1~
bu:t does
. ,-, 20'1, 0"'.1. ...... l'Yo",,'1 6 .!n ' e '!c.-t·..a",,- ·j .. ••· .. l'lT ct' ob-1"'ct J.~ ,:> X \.0 UJ .l'~ i~-'"' ....!L l!.. " i·,I.\. ~ .!"v • ..,....."
·. ,."
!!nancir~o ~hs schools ar~ fin~lced jointly qy local cont ribut ion- and the
st'ateo The loca:! contribution toward t.rw coot of (1) teacher salaries , (2) udroin=
1strat1o~» (3) local adm1I'~i.stl'etion supplexr.ents of $150 per teacher unit, (4) other
costs of $245 POl' teacher unit , (~) tl:'anspoi'tatioutl and (6) Employer «s part. at' 30c-
ial. Securl ty and Retil-ement is based on money recei \'13d from !S! !!!.<lE!!! tax funds, the
poll t.ue and sev'erance taxo The rest of the costs are contributed by the statso
The state net apprCLnmately 70% of the total costs of education in too 1962-6:] year o
The local !!!. ,!aloro,m tax fund contl"ibution of a school district is determined by
an index of financial abil1ty~ The ta..c"t paying abilH,y of each dist.rict.--or its pet:=
centage of the stateRs Tlsalth-is nnltiplied by $12,000,0000 (Too statutes fix
$12~OOOi?OOO as the &!l.llual aggregate mr.cunt of local ad valorem contribution to be
made by all c'Ounties C'.nd separate districts in the state in the current biennium,, )
The local ad. valor-ern tax yields abou.t $185_000 p0!' year, with $5,.000 being paJ d . -....... ~
to the statAl and $123 000 remaining here " "
The net amount, of all poll taxes .collected in the cl1Stl'ic must be put. :i.nto
the dist:r1.c t .. ijs local contribution" This amounts to abO'olt $1800 l-"<3 l" year for t his
district"
The 10>.~a1. school diatrict ean also in,crea3e funds by school bo_.d issues .or by
j.ncreaae in taxes colle()teld for school m.a.:i.nt·enance and operat1c;.no This last item
is limited t!) 25 mills of s.ssessed va.l.uation" ThE 10c2.1, ram i s now 18 mille per
$lCfJO assessed valuationo The local Bcru:'d reqllests an increase 1.1 millage by TO""
quest to tr£ Eo .,rd of Alder~n.. By 1,,;,;; -00 Board of Aldermen .JEl~ ~pprove the school
budget" It can.'lot reject it" (Otr.er county distl"ici:.s stipulate !!!!i: c.ppro'V9 J our
regulat.ions S:lY' Il1iill~ apPj,qoilu,,) The total bon.ded 1~debl;ad..l1eS3 nus'\; not ~xceed 15%
by oJ.am is ratnined by th!!3 st.ate and the ,I;'ewndar is roturm)d to the county.. Ap· l'Orl-
lr.:;,~t 1y ooo-h,"'U ('If the \!ilr.mnt. ~turnc'd t:o too !ounty iml .. t 00 placed in the count.yOs
S·i;a.~ funds are contributt:d to c ap:U;-:U. building outlay on t.he basis of aver-age
daily attendc:.""1ce :i&"ld need" This is calculated on a basis of $12 per yt!ar for a.verage
dail3" att.endance (a..,d.a .. ) of white childl.'"eu and $15 for Negro children" Since 1953
the state has spent. mo!"'e than tWice as weh on its boJ.ilding program r . .u- Negroes than
for whites because of the gi'~ater needo The st.ate appl'oves all plans for building
construction, it inspects as construction l'rogrcsse3; and it must approve the com-
pleted buildingo
<AIr local school S"J'stem racei vas Fec.Wral money in several different lIaysc The
National. Defense Educa.A.ion Act of 1958 provides finanC"'la.l assistance for strengthan-
ing sCiene,e ~ mathematics, and model~n foro1g11 languaE:.-e instruction on a, matching fund
basis. Title III financial assistance is also provided for testing~ guidance. and
counseling programs.. Under Title V-A the schoole raceiw cash 8Ssista.llce for the
school lunch program (5¢ a lnnch=-about $10,000 a year) and for milk, in addition to
commodities which are given by the Deparlrocmt of Agriculture from BUrpins foodso , .,
Un~r the provisions of the Smith-Hughes Actb schools receive reirobursenent. for part;,
of the sa,la,ry of vocational oducation teachers", In the 1.962-'t96j school year~ $3,(X)o
, .. ra..--; reeei ~'ed for Part of the salaries of one home economics and one shop teacher in
the Negro\) schoolo In tm new high ~'Jchool ho~ economics instruction ll.~ll be feder= . ,
ally subsidized: but not shop:> \-tood!jfork1ng~, or lmchnnieal. drawingo
The tot.a1 budget fer '011.e 1962=1963 school year is $487 t;687 <I Of t!d.s $35~96S
or 7~ goos to a..d.mS.nlstratione which includes ths salar'les of principals ~ their lSec<=
retarles~ and offici~ supp~j,esw as \1191.1.. as the ex~ns36 of the superintendent and h.ts
. . Schoel principals must ha.ve AA Cert.ii'i-
ca.tes in school 8!~m-inistra.tion" St;>~arlcs a.rc $S~OOO fer nine months for each ele-
tBntary principal.. ':he high school prlncii-'al is scheduled to receive $8.000 fOl~ l?
months in 1963""1964,,
There are 97 regular t..eachel-s in Oxford EJ.ementarj') Bramlet'!;., University High and
the Negro schools" There are four special teachers for music, speechl', elemnt.~ band"
and Spanish,,- Minimum qualifieations for teachers are a bachelorus degree, and training
in spee1al field", There is no problem in recruiting teachers h&re ~ toore is a ready
source from the Uni verst ty ..
The st<rt.e minimum sala.,-y is 83000 r(xt' a baginning teacher with a. bachelor's degree"
Salary increases are made on a step basis ~ $100 a yefJ:r up to the maximum. There is a
retirement fund for state employees.. Four parcent of the salary .from $1200 to $9000
a year 1s paj.d by the employee into tIn.s flh"ldo Tre school also pays the employer's
contribution to Social Securityo Ths:re ;~s no tenure ..
The following table gt;,.~s the rfJ.:mbe'l' of teachars , enrolllOOnt,. teaching l oad", and
average datJ,y attendance foI' each of the city schools for th3 past t.wo Y".:JarB(,
School NO d of Em'oll- l·aac~n.g
Te&ei!ors m::nt 10M A,. ,.D .. A. 0
,lioo of" Enro;.l - Teacrti:t"..g A .. D .. A" 'Ie~h1!ra t:':9m. Load
Bramlett 13 410 .31 40l 14 4'77 34 h50
Oxford G):"ammar .. 16 ' 571 36 b,68 16 b.86 30 ' 452
UniverrrlJ .. y High 26 :;54 21 ~22 26 5~5 21 51~4
Central School E16mnt~l".Y:' 19 714 3B 692 20 807 40 137
High School 21 429 20 hott 22 492 22 . 4Si~
A subatttlr~ teachsl" 'Who holds (J'. a,)gl'6:9 i.5 p~~td $9;)00 daily or $ , ,,00 I-"'" half
day 0 . I ra. subsM.t'l'.t!t te ache!s 10 51.1CCessi"\i'iE) days t' sn2 is paid $12000 fo:rlihet 1~.8t
6 · . s~ ~ld1-E1;;t~. ~~ ~~1~~r~1~o Schoo] b\l1.1ding3 t.~nd grol.,ms ax'S ava:U.able for
mity use vr.!.th no ch~i.1'ge for nonp:tcf'ih ol'gafl:l.z<;:l;.lons cth91' t.han the ja.dtOl"if.'.l faeo
organizations pey a fe80
'I'm n~W' high school 1~'ill ha.ve adeq,1.1.a:!JH la.bore:tory faD1 .. litieso
Unl:v8!"sity High cC'l1t.;mnn apprm~illlatel:l 8!)Ov"O "Jolu."1es£ other libraries contain
,4,0 books. In the gr-ammar schools one li1Jrarlan cir"~u.lates in the t.wo 1<ThJ.te schoolso
~)!l:~':!ls have (,ne library par-iod ~r \iaek and a.re all(.f;1le:d to truce out one book per
a1<:0 T:he school spent $,,79 of ta.."'l: m.oney paX" pup:tl for llbl'a:des in 1.961-1962~ ranking
134 of l,O in the stat-eo The local Board SUppl1!llOOnted thi.s figure~ ha:.fe'W.lr. ao that
tandards of the Soutkwrl1 &'8') }ation of Colleges and Seconda.ry Schools could 'be ~to
The 1963-64 bl..'\dget. ir;.e}xtdsS In'Ovisiona faT t,ne librro:"ies; a copy can be obtained ar'~er
July 15 .. Trer'G are no compulsOl",:!, a:!:,tendanc~ la.ws in Missisa~.ppiCl 1l.S of May l~ 1962 e there
were 1712 white children enrolled in the alemer!tar,y schools of Oxford and Lai'e,;V'f)tte
Count.y and 1902 Negro ctdldreuo 'l'm re were .340 "!'2h1.te children anti 109 Negro cll1.1cll'-en
ages 5 to 14 net anr'olled in school., There werE.' 492 white and 194 Negro persona of
high school age nc;~. en:r-olled in hlgh seno!}lo T~H.'e is SOL~ cC1!IlllUnH,y interest in the
drop-out rata.. 'fhi81 problem is more amrte in t,he rural are.ce than lJithintha Oxford
School Dist,l'icto
~'"lSE2.~~...E1!0 A p'J.bl1c Sl.lPP'..:>rt.ad bus transportation sys't .. ero. is a.vailable to a.ll
eh11chun liv:tug ~~t;;ide the city lim:ttso The bU~3S &'""e school-OWI".sd and legally safeo
A 10% overload. is aecept.a.b1.ec By 1;1.:; tuas5 ha.~ t,o be lnspscted once tiL month} t,h9Y ~
gen~raUy LUJpect{~d Ol'lCe 8. '\Fael;;:" Dl:1- t't>.lf.'S llUst be at 18M'i:. 17 y~ara of agl!J$ gradvAt.es
of ~. s(;h~)ol-b'IJ.G d.;:1.v6!" acho.)l (20 hol.lX"SI of inst!f'IJction) beld 5.n th:~ S\UJ::i1l'!eI'o Tr..e sch·.)ol
is off.1cit?lly oogTegatfj(l~ 'tn:d;, becauoo of conveni~ .. nce II 80m3 of each race o";easlona.l1y
at tend e s.ch s0:3sion",
1
~i~ ~'.i ·r~. TIl is no public kindergart en and no voca~~i onal school,
although some vocational training 1.3 ~f.fEH-ed in the Negro Tra.i rd.ng SchooL.
'" There are spada! classes for teaching speech t,rerapy and by f all , 1963 , tOO t"6
are plans to have a speci al program foT' the mentall y handi capped chil dren.. Spani~h
1s taught in Oxford ElelOOntary School :in grades 4~ 5, a.."ld 6.. The re i s no progr am
for gifted children.
Tmre is a school lunch pl'ogramo In 1962 the m3.nagers of the lunc h plt'Ogram
were paid $2100 }'er year and the ~Jegro helpers received an a.verage of $540 for tne
nine month period., Salar ies 111 1963 were abou·t; the S.:l.lIl:e "
The stat e through the county hsu.lt.h program provides s uch aerv.i. ees to the
school as eye tasting , checking of teeth, heating$ a"1d height and 11eight ..
There is no :trent-al he9.1th progr am in the schoo13o DU1"ing 1963-196h tl~'r€ Will
be a coordinated cOW'lse ling pr ogram in the hi gh :::lchool .. and plans are to exp!ll.lld it
t o the elem~mtal'Y schools and tr.c Negro school in the f uture.,
There is no adult. education program except some COUl"ses leading to a. high school
Tters are no schools operated Ot:yond th~ high school lavel by- t.he local 5:'1l'3t;.:: ill>
n:oetinge, and PrO holds four :rrnetings a year" Usually\:'ha progl"3ln cons:l.3t~ of a dis-
cussion of matters of interest -to the p~.rEnrts of school c-.ge child.rell_ ~ Members asSist
.. fencing " and al1.d5.a-,risual aidf:': have ooen p'.l~chnsed. by t,~e l"t.lLo